‘Alone we go faster. Together, we go further.’ African proverb
Linked to each other, we are in the movement of letting ourselves be guided by the Spirit of Pentecost to build together our house of Charity in the town of Phariyago, in Burkina Faso.
We are four sisters assigned to this community: Sister Nathalie KAM, who works at the Bondigui health and social promotion centre (CSPS); Sister Delphine SOME, who teaches civics and religious instruction at the Saint Jean l’Evangéliste secondary school in Phariyago; Sister Edith YAMEOGO, who teaches preparatory classes at the Saint Jean primary school; and Sister Clémentine TAPSOBA, who works at Mater Christi to train novice masters and mistresses.
‘We learn every day to flourish where we have been planted, because there is nowhere better to be found’. So, to make the most of the present, every morning we draw strength from the Word of God to support each other. As sisters from different backgrounds, we are enriched by a simple sharing of our strengths and potential, and in our quest to get to know each other so that we can make the most of each other. We also live in a spirit of co-responsibility, each of us trying to take our rightful place in the community, thus enhancing our fraternity of living together. Aware that our mission is community-based, before being personal, we support each other by sharing our experiences. The more we discover ourselves in community, the better we sow fraternal life and the more our witness authenticates the Gospel. In this way, mission can be lived with ease.
What are the beautiful and wonderful things we experience in mission?
At primary school, it is wonderful to serve God through the very young children who are starting their first year. It’s wonderful to see children who only knew their mother tongue saying ‘Bonjour, ma sœur’ in French; and even more wonderful to see others who didn’t know vowels or consonants reading and writing ‘école, un père, une mère’. With a small class size (17 pupils), the class teacher was able to keep a close eye on everyone’s work.
At the lycée, Sister Delphine expresses her joy at the sharing of knowledge between teachers and pupils. Since the main aim of the course is to inculcate ‘moral, civic and religious values’, Sister Delphine is happy to share her knowledge and skills with the pupils, to promote social cohesion between them; and often the participation and involvement of the pupils in the course creates a good atmosphere in the classes, and an openness to the culture and religion of others.
As for the health and social promotion centre, Sister Nathalie meets patients from different backgrounds, with all sorts of ailments that vary according to the season. Through these patients, she discovers the different faces of Christ: when her patients regain their health, it gives her joy, strength and perseverance to continue her mission. All the care is provided in simple, modest surroundings. Some patients, because of the stress of their critical condition, become aggressive… then return to express their gratitude by offering ‘their carer’ simple and modest gifts.
When we return from our various missions, we take time out to relax and carry out our activities: gardening, raising sheep and chickens. The dogs wait for their for their midday meal, lining up from the smallest to the largest at the kitchen door. The other animals gather together for the communal meal. As soon as the sheep return to the sheepfold for the night’s rest, the hens gather around their feed trough for their evening meal.
All this contributes to harmony in our city, and we thank God for the strength of his Spirit who never ceases to sustain us.
Sisters KAM Yelli Nathalie, YAMEOGO Kiswendsida Edith and SOME Malikum Delphine
Published on 2 May 2025
